


not gruesome; just human

by krabershot



Category: Apex Legends (Video Games)
Genre: Almost Kiss, Elliot is an idiot who cant flirt :/, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gender Dysphoria, Hurt/Comfort, Love Confessions, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-01
Updated: 2020-01-01
Packaged: 2021-02-27 10:21:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,537
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22065439
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/krabershot/pseuds/krabershot
Summary: Bloodhound smiled softly. After a moment, it slowly fell away and they turned their face slightly, letting their hair tumble down to cover their face. “It would seem that my struggles with depression have returned. I do also feel...strange..in regards to how I feel about myself. How I look. How others will see me,” They talked in a voice so hushed, Elliot had to lean in to hear them. They sighed deeply, closing their eyes. “I do not feel good about myself. But it will pass with time. It always does.”
Relationships: Bloodhound/Mirage | Elliott Witt
Comments: 14
Kudos: 76





	1. prologue

No one had seen Bloodhound leave their quarters in four days. The other champions living in the complex had started talking amongst themselves, wondering when they would come out. Some, like Anita, had tried knocking on their door to see if they would respond. The closest that Anita had ever got to a response was a muffled “leave me” from the other side of the door. Sometimes Makoa would visit and bring along food he had cooked with his boyfriend to leave outside. Bloodhound always took the food once he had left the door and gone down the stairs; they would have hated to waste the hard work and effort to bring them something. They were just grateful that the only other Legend who shared their floor of the complex was Alexander Nox. He tended to keep to himself and hadn’t tried bothering them at all. For four days, Bloodhound had been sneaking down into the communal kitchen to grab water bottles and small amounts of food in the middle of the night when they knew next to no one would be around, much less in the kitchen. 

One late afternoon, Bloodhound was lying face down on their bed, their eyes burning and their hands clenched into fists. Their face was turned to the side, staring at their closed curtains. Slowly, they curled inwards on themself and wrapped their arms around their stomach, their fingers gripping onto the fabric of the loose shirt they wore. Some awful over sized shirt worn with holes and an old rock band logo emblazoned on the front that Elliot had left behind one night that they had never returned. It was something familiar and something comforting. 

Bloodhound’s breathing ran ragged as they thought about leaving their room. Somehow it felt safer in their bed than anywhere else. They didn’t want to be seen by anyone. Their whole body felt wrong. They didn’t know how to explain how they felt and didn’t exactly feel like trying; especially to those who wouldn’t understand. Bloodhound’s eyes landed on the cracked mirror that they had propped against the wall and stared at their own reflection. They looked like a sad and sorry mess, their hair unbrushed and dark circles under their eyes. They bared their sharp teeth at their reflection and reached back to grab a pillow to throw at the mirror. Stupid. 

There were three quiet knocks at the door and Bloodhound sat upright, crossing their legs. A soft voice called out to them and they almost smiled. “Come in,” they said, just loud enough to be heard, and the door opened. 

Natalie took a step inside Bloodhound’s room and immediately closed the door behind her, rescuing them from the prying eyes of any champions who might be lurking around. It was still considered a rare sight for the champions to see Bloodhound’s entire face uncovered. She tucked her short hair behind her ear and her eyes flicked around the room, avoiding Bloodhound entirely. They took no offense. She was one of the few people that they had trusted to see them without any form of covering over their face but they also knew she didn’t like eye contact. That suited them just fine; they also hated it. 

“I am sorry,” Bloodhound said quietly, their shaky hands twisting in their lap. They were struggling to keep their breathing even; the thought of having a friend see them in such a way was beginning to instill panic in them. “I have allowed my quarters to become quite the mess. I know you don’t like that.”

“ _T’inquiète pas..._ I do not mind the mess,” she took a step forward before gesturing towards the edge of the bed. Bloodhound nodded and she sat, folding her hands in her lap. “I am here to check on you. Others are worried. As am I. And I wanted to ask if you are okay, _doudou._ ”

Bloodhound was quiet as they tried to steady their breathing. Guilt crept in the back of their mind, pushing forward. They knew others were worrying about them. They didn’t feel as though they deserved people thinking about them like that. They must be an awful person to bring these wonderful people such worry. They looked up to see Natalie’s face, so full of concern for them and the wall holding their feelings back inside them broke. The panic they had been pushing aside bubbled up in their chest and their breathing began coming out in quiet gasps. Bloodhound’s eyes filled with tears and their hands came up to tangle in their hair, pulling. They slowly rocked as their hands shook and the tears finally spilled from their eyes. 

Natalie reached out a hand. “Bloth...” their breathing hitched at the familiar nickname. “Is this okay?” They nodded quickly and Natalie’s hands came up to rest over their own. She slowly pulled their hands from their hair and lowered them down to prevent any more harm. 

“Do you wish to talk?” Natalie asked quietly. Bloodhound shook their head. “Would you like me to leave you?”

Bloodhound make a choked noise and their eyes blurred as their head shook again. Their whole body quaked as Natalie gave their hands a gentle squeeze. She was whispering quiet things to Bloodhound in her native tongue that they couldn’t understand but they felt the comfort behind her words nonetheless. She knew they wouldn’t understand her exact words, but knew they would understand the meaning behind them. She just held onto their hands, a grounding weight, and talked as Bloodhound’s breathing slowed. They heard Natalie ask them if they could match her breathing. In and out. Careful. You are okay. You are safe. You are home. 

Slowly, Bloodhound’s breathing returned to normal and the tears stopped. With a slight tremor still left in their hands, Bloodhound let out a deep breath and blinked. “I-I am sorry you had to witness this.”

“Do not apologize, _mon ami,_ ” Natalie’s soft grip on Bloodhound’s hands shifted. “I understand. I sometimes have similar moments. Meltdowns is what papa called them. _Effondrement._ When everything gets to be too much.”

“Too much... _hrynja. Já. Vondur._ "

“Bloth, do you remember my first time competing in the games? How I held the squad back fifteen minutes longer than we needed because I panicked after getting knocked?” Bloodhound nodded slowly, tilting their head in confusion. Natalie smiled softly and patted Bloodhound’s hand. “You were the one who sat with me and helped me to slow my breathing. Our third member wanted to leave me behind to bleed out. Come back for my banner later. But you knew how I was feeling. And you helped me. You didn’t even know me then.”

“I wanted to ensure that you would be alright.” Bloodhound said quietly, rubbing their wet cheek with their free hand. 

“That is what we do, _non?_ ” Natalie’s gaze drifted back to Bloodhound for a moment. “We help each other. That is what friends do.”

After a moment of quiet, Natalie looked around the room and her nose wrinkled slightly. Her leg shook up and down in a rhythm and her long fingernails were tapping against the back of Bloodhound’s hands. Bloodhound blinked slowly and looked around their room. Their armour hung in the corner of the room, reminding them of all the games that they had missed. More guilt. Clothes and loose knives lay scattered across the floor. Messy and a safety hazard. There was a stack of books lying on the floor by their desk. Disorganized. They worried for the health of their plants, noticing that some were drooping in their pots and planters around their room. They hadn’t been as diligent as usual in keeping them all watered. Bloodhound caught sight of Artur’s stand by the window and they frowned. They had sent Artur away to hunt and fly freely while they had locked themselves away in solitude. He could survive fine by himself but they knew he would be so worried about them. 

“Would you like me to send for anyone?”

Tears pricked behind Bloodhound’s eyes again and they bit their lip. “I would like to see Elliot.”


	2. its alright

It took less than twenty minutes for Elliot to arrive at the champion’s complex. It worried Bloodhound to think that he had broken a speeding law to get there in such a short time but they were just happy to see him. When they heard him knock on their door, they had it open in a second, inviting him in. Natalie excused herself to go back to her own room and left the two of them alone. Bloodhound apologised for the mess and Elliot brushed it off, joking that his apartment was no better on a good day. They sat together on Bloodhound’s bed, both cross legged. 

“Is that my shirt?” Elliot asked, a gentle smile pulling at his lips. Bloodhound’s face flushed red and they started stuttering an apology but he waved his hand. “It looks good on you. Looks real comfortable.”

“It is,” Bloodhound confessed. “I have been sleeping in it recently.”

Elliot beamed and something clenched around Bloodhound’s heart. They averted their eyes and twirled the ends of their thick hair around their finger. They started when Elliot’s hand came up to join theirs, his fingers running through their hair. The look he had on his face was so genuine, Bloodhound wanted to cry again. 

“My apologies, Elliot, my hair has not been...washed in a little while. It has been difficult for me to leave this room.”

Elliot was quiet for a moment, his hand absentmindedly twirling in Bloodhound’s long hair. He worried his lip between his teeth for a moment and looked over at them. “I could wash it for you if you wanted?” he asked, his voice quiet. Bloodhound’s eyes went wide and he scrambled to clarify further. “I mean, I uh.. You don’t have to, of course, and I mean, w-we could both just wear pants or something. It’s n-not anything, uh-”

Bloodhound cut him off by reaching up to grab his hand and squeeze. “I would like that.”

They both stood and Bloodhound made their way into the bathroom conjoining their room. They frowned as they looked up at the planter in the window. The ends of the houseplant were browned and curling; they would need to give all their plants some serious TLC soon. They fiddled with the knobs in the shower, testing the water until it was a satisfactory temperature and stepped back, rubbing up and down their arms. Behind them, Elliot pulled off his shirt. 

“Is this okay?” he asked, red rising in his cheeks. Bloodhound nodded and moved to pull off the shirt they wore. “Y-You don’t have to. If you don’t want to.”

Bloodhound shook their head and threw the shirt aside. Elliot stared at them for a moment but tore his eyes away. “I trust you.” Bloodhound said quietly. Elliot’s eyes came back to them, wide with awe, and they stepped out of the sweatpants they wore, leaving them in a pair of briefs. They stepped into the shower and Elliot followed, stumbling out of his jeans. 

“Hey, we match,” Elliot smiled, gesturing to the twin scars running across his chest. Bloodhound looked down at their own and fought the urge to cross their arms across their chest. But they remembered, out of everyone they knew, Elliot would understand the best how they were feeling. 

The two of them stood together in the shower, awkwardly a foot apart and incredibly unsure of what to do next. Bloodhound let out a deep breath and slowly lowered themselves, pulling Elliot with them, until they were both sitting on the tiled floor of the shower. Bloodhound maneuvered them around until they were sitting in between Elliot’s legs, their back against his chest. Elliot reached out and grabbed the shampoo bottle that was against the wall, squeezing some into his hand and running it through Bloodhound’s wet hair. They closed their eyes and hummed as Elliot gently washed their hair, the shampoo running down their back. 

Bloodhound pulled their legs up to their chest and leant their chin against their knee. They continued humming as they felt Elliot running conditioner through their hair. They could hear him quietly talking, mostly to himself, and it brought a smile to their face. He had always been particularly enamoured by Bloodhound’s hair. The first time Bloodhound had taken off their mask in front of Elliot, he had run his hands through it with amazement in his eyes. He had touched the individual braids and the bead rings that were dotted throughout and ran his fingers through the loose hair. He had cupped their face in his hands and Bloodhound could still feel the way he ran his thumb over a scar that stretched down their cheek from their eye. He had quickly sat back and apologised, his cheeks burning from embarrassment. But Bloodhound didn’t mind. They never minded when it came to Elliot. 

Behind them, Elliot had just finished rinsing the last of the conditioner from their hair. Had it been so long already? They had gotten so lost in their own thoughts. Elliot’s voice had replaced Bloodhound’s humming. He was singing under his breath, as he pulled Bloodhound’s hair to the side and Bloodhound closed their eyes. The hot water ran down their back and they felt Elliot shift behind them. He seemed unsure of what to do with himself now that he had no immediate task. He continued to sing quietly to himself and Bloodhound turned their head to look over their shoulder at him. They smiled when they saw he had simply leant back against the wall, his head tilted up as he sang. It was some pop song that Bloodhound barely recognized. His eyes were closed and he looked happy. 

One of his eyes opened and he looked over at Bloodhound, a goofy grin spread across his face. “Whatcha lookin’ at?”

Bloodhound turned back around and laid their cheek on their knee. “Nothing.”

Elliot sat forward and rested a hand on Bloodhound’s shoulder. They visibly tensed at the contact and his hand pulled back. “Time to get up?” he asked. Bloodhound nodded and hauled themself to their feet, turning around to switch off the water. Elliot had stood up with them and they now stood facing one another. Elliot looked down at Bloodhound and smiled. “Towels?

Bloodhound stepped out of the shower and reached into their small linen closet to pull out two large soft towels folded inside. They held one out for Elliot to grab before dropping the second on top of their head. Elliot laughed and followed as Bloodhound walked back out into their room. They dragged the towel over their body once to remove residual water before throwing themselves onto their bed. 

“Hey now, don’t do that,” Elliot walked over to the edge of the bed, slowly drying himself off. “You’ll get sick if you sleep with wet hair.”

“That’s a myth.” Bloodhound said, their voice muffled by their pillows. 

“Huh,” Elliot sat himself on the edge of the bed, drying off his hair. “Learn something new everyday. Although I’ll bet it’s still not comfortable to sleep like that.”

Bloodhound’s mouth down turned and they turned their head to the side. “I’m tired, Elliot.”

Elliot was quiet for a moment, sitting beside them and thinking. Bloodhound just stared at the wall. They didn’t want to burden him any further. Elliot looked around the room and then back to Bloodhound. “Hey Hound, did you want me to get you some comfy clothes? Just so you don’t have to sleep in those wet briefs.”

Suddenly Bloodhound was very aware that all they were wearing was a pair of underwear. Panic arose in their chest and they sat up quickly, their head spinning. How quickly they had become comfortable showing so much of themself to Elliot. Their breathing stuttered as they looked over at Elliot, who just looked back at them open faced. They were so used to being met with confusion or heavy concern when they acted like this but the way that Elliot looked at them was different. They knew he understood the dysphoria that they felt, even if it was from a different perspective. He was looking intently at their face and they shifted under his gaze. They were at least grateful Elliot’s eyes were very pointedly staying on their face, never straying. Their breathing slowed for a moment as they nodded, pointing towards a chest of drawers. Elliot slowly stood and walked over, opening the top drawer to pull out a pair of soft sweatpants. 

He raised them questioningly and Bloodhound nodded again. He placed them on the edge of the bed, next to Bloodhound, before grabbing a second pair. He quietly told them he was only going to borrow them if it was okay with them and after they had confirmed it was fine, he stepped toward the bathroom. He announced he was gonna change in there so Bloodhound could have their privacy and to call out when he could come back. He then closed the door behind himself, leaving Bloodhound in silence.

They slowly pulled the wet briefs off and used the soft towel to dry their legs. Their eyes never once left the door as they pulled the pants they had been given up and over their hips. Their chest rose and fell with heavy breath as they clutched the towel to their front, rubbing their cheek against the soft material. Tears threatened to spill from behind their eyes and they sniffed, blinking quickly. They coughed, clearing their throat, before calling out to Elliot to let him back into the room. As he stepped back into the room, Bloodhound tugged on a sleeveless cotton shirt from the open drawer to cover their chest. 

They ran a hand through their damp hair as Elliot sat back down on the bed. He had tossed his briefs in Bloodhound’s laundry hamper, along with their own, and was watching them as they slowly paced back and forth in front of the bed. He didn’t say anything, just leant back on his hands and smiled softly at them. It made their breathing stutter and they almost stumbled over their own feet. They cursed inwardly the ever-growing crush they had on the idiotic trickster. There was just something about him that intrigued them. But if he kept smiling at them like that, like he trusted them with everything he had, he was going to break them. They knew that he liked to flirt with them but Elliot flirted with everyone. He had even flirted with Alexander once and it had almost gotten him killed. So Bloodhound was sure that when Elliot had flirted with them it did not mean anything particularly special. They were friends. Good friends. They had to find a way to be okay with that. 

“You’re thinking way too hard,” Bloodhound paused in their pacing, looking at Elliot in surprise. His smile had gotten big and goofy again, tugging at Bloodhound’s heart. His head tilted and he scrunched up his nose at them. The lack of product left after their joint shower had left his hair messy and falling over his face, something he rarely let anyone see. “I can hear you thinking from here. Must be something real important.”

His hand came around to pat on the bed beside himself and Bloodhound rubbed their arm, making their way over. They sat down and immediately pulled their legs up to their chest. Elliot’s hand reached out for Bloodhound’s but they pulled away before it connected. They could almost feel the hurt that flashed across his face but he chose not to say anything. He knew that Bloodhound didn’t like to be touched sometimes and he was going to respect it. For that, Bloodhound was grateful. 

“Do you want to talk about it?” Elliot asked uncharacteristically quietly. He was staring across the room at Bloodhound’s set of armour on its stand against the wall. “You don’t have to but I’ve been told I’m a pretty good listener.”

Bloodhound laughed faintly and they could tell Elliot was resisting the urge to elbow them in the side. “Elliot, you have not listened to a single person in your whole life,” they replied, resting their cheek on their knee with their face turned towards Elliot. “I do not believe that you ever will.”

“Rude!” Elliot teased. “I can learn to listen!”

Bloodhound smiled softly. After a moment, it slowly fell away and they turned their face slightly, letting their hair tumble down to cover their face. “It would seem that my struggles with depression have returned. I do also feel...strange..in regards to how I feel about myself. How I look. How others will see me,” They talked in a voice so hushed, Elliot had to lean in to hear them. They sighed deeply, closing their eyes. “I do not feel good about myself. But it will pass with time. It always does.”

“Is there anything that I can do? Anything at all to help you feel okay.”

“Just being here is helping,” Bloodhound raised their head to look at Elliot. “Being with you makes me feel okay.”

Elliot nodded, his eyes wide. “I can stay over if you want. We can watch some shitty movies together or I could make you dinner. Con-contr-c- _fuck_...contrary to popular belief, I’m actually quite a good cook. I learned a thing or two from my ma,” he laughed nervously, sitting up straighter. “You don’t even have to leave your room, I can just bring you something if you want.”

Bloodhound stared at the wall for a moment, thinking. They could see Elliot out the corner of their eye, looking at them patiently. They tilted their head back and felt the familiar sting of tears pricking behind their eyes but blinked them away. They had already cried too many times. “I would like that,” they said, their voice hushed. “And I _have_ grown quite hungry.”

“Did you eat today?” Elliot asked, his head tilting curiously.

Bloodhound’s cheeks flushed red and they ducked their head in shame. “I have not been keeping to a proper eating schedule recently.”

Elliot’s mouth twisted and he nodded. “I get it. Do you want me to go make you something? Bring it back here for you?”

Bloodhound shook their head and looked up towards him. “I’d like to go with you, if that is alright?”

With Elliot’s reassurance that it was perfectly fine if they came along to watch him make something in the kitchen, Bloodhound dragged themselves into a standing position and rifled through the mess on top of their dresser. They found a simple black half-face mask and slid it on, satisfied having at least half of their face covered outside of their room. For months, they had worn their full mask while around the Legend’s complex, but Tae Joon had slipped them a pack after they had expressed their discomfort wearing such bulky gear all the time. They had been grateful and it made them smile to see the ones with patterns on them. For the moment, they favoured one with a row of sharp teeth pulled into a grin. Beside them, Elliot quietly stole one of their big hoodies from one of their drawers and tugged it on. It was one of the ones that Bloodhound had gotten specifically for comfort so the sleeves fell down past his hands. Before they left, Bloodhound gathered their still damp hair up into a loose ponytail with the hair tie they kept around their wrist. They did not miss the way that Elliot followed every movement with wide eyes.

It took a moment before Bloodhound left their room. They paused in the doorway with a hand on the wall and stared out into the hallway. Elliot waited beside them, being strangely patient, until they took in a deep breath and closed the door behind them.Together the two of them went downstairs to the communal kitchen area and Bloodhound was surprised to see Alexander leaning against one of the countertops, waiting for the coffee machine. Elliot visibly tensed but Bloodhound continued into the kitchen, pulling themselves up to sit on a free counter. They knew they had to sit somewhere or they would be tempted to retreat back upstairs into their room. Alexander acknowledged them with a nod and made a poor attempt at hiding the face he pulled when he saw Elliot following along behind them. 

“ _Halló_ , Dr. Nox,” Bloodhound said, watching Elliot as he sidled past Alexander to check the fridge for food. “I thought you would be participating in today’s game?” 

Alexander poured himself a mug of the now finished coffee and shook his head slowly. He walked slowly to the fridge to pull out the milk to use for his coffee. “It would seem that my leg has been acting up. I was...heavily advised against participating today.”

“Ajay?” 

Alexander made another face and Bloodhound nodded. They knew how Ajay could get when it came to the Legends pushing themselves too far in the games. 

“I must say I am surprised to see you outside of your quarters. Some began to fear you would never leave again.” There was a joking lilt to his voice but Bloodhound was surprised to hear the layer of concern hiding underneath.

Bloodhound was quiet for a stretch and Alexander wasn’t sure if they would respond, but they eventually looked back his way. “The past few days have not been very kind to me,” they said, leaning back against the wall. “But I have been reminded that I must eat.”

“Human after all,” There was a beat of silence before Alexander flicked his eyes over to Bloodhound and back to his coffee. “I will admit there were a few moments I had wondered if you would do something impetuous.”

Bloodhound tilted their head in confusion. There was an English word they didn’t recognize. “Could you rephrase, Dr. Nox?”

“Apologies,” his free hand came up to awkwardly rub at the back of his neck as he walked back to his spot. “I simply meant...something impulsive or...reckless. And I have mentioned before, you may call me Alexander.”

“You had worried that I might have caused harm to myself?” they asked questioningly. Elliot stilled in front of them, his hand frozen where it was reaching out for the cupboard above his head. Alexander raised an eyebrow, taking a sip from his coffee, and Bloodhound averted their gaze. “You do not have to worry about that. I do not wish to anger the Allfather. But I do appreciate the thought.”

Alexander gave a curt nod and pushed away from the counter top. “You are one of the few people in this line of work that I respect, Bloodhound,” he said as he passed them. He stopped at the bottom of the stairs and shifted his grip on the rather large mug he was holding. “If you ever wish to share research or go over strategies, my door will always be open to you.”

He disappeared up the stairs and Elliot whipped around to face them, his face incredulous. “Excuse me? You actually got Nox to be nice to you? No one else has managed to do that.”

Bloodhound pulled their legs up onto the counter to cross them, watching as Elliot moved around the kitchen. They immediately dropped their legs back down. They could not seem to get comfortable. “We have a level of respect for one another. Perhaps if you stopped pulling practical jokes on him with Octavio, he would consider the same for you.” A noise in the distance startled them and they frowned. Someone else was home. They had thought that majority of the Legends would have been out, considering there was a game on. 

“When did you two get time to bond?” Elliot’s voice had taken on a tone that meant he knew that he was pushing where he shouldn’t but was far too curious to stop. “Didn’t think that you two would be buddies.”

“He helped me once when we were paired together for the Games. Our third member was disrespectful and Alexander…” Bloodhound paused, considering for a moment. “...dealt with him.”

Elliot raised an eyebrow and busied himself with cutting the vegetables lined up on the chopping board in front of him. “What did he do?”

✰ ✰ ✰ 

“So it’s not gonna be a problem, is it?” The man laughed and took a moment to adjust his armour plating. “Won’t need to stop for you to pray or something? Sacrifice an animal? I’ve heard you’re one of those weird religious types, dude.”

Bloodhound recoiled as if they had been slapped and Caustic saw their hand twitch. A miniscule movement toward the hand axe strapped to their hip. “It won’t be an issue.” Bloodhound replied, their voice icy. 

The man’s grin in return was leering and Bloodhound stiffened as he reached out a hand to clap on their shoulder. “Good man.”

Three fights later and the man had proven himself to be more of a dead weight upon the team with his attempts at barking orders and leading the attacks. He had almost gotten Bloodhound killed with a misinformed call and Caustic had had enough. He stepped forward and asked in his most polite voice for the military man to lead the charge into Epicentre after Bloodhound had found fresh tracks in the snow. The idiot had obviously taken the bait. He had run in with guns blazing and found himself quickly downed by the full squad hiding within the circular building. 

Caustic pulled out a large canister from where it had been strapped to his chest and pulled the top, throwing it in a wide arc until it cracked open inside the Epicentre. Dark clouds of noxious gas began pouring out as Bloodhound heard the tell tale hiss of Caustic dropping his traps in front of the exits, blocking them. 

“Asshole!” the man yelled, his voice strained. Bloodhound could hear the sounds of the people inside choking, one hitting the ground with a dull thump. “I’m on the ground in here! I need help!”

“How... _unfortunate._ ”

Caustic sat himself down on a nearby rock and pulled out a notepad with a pen. Bloodhound watched from a distance as he observed the chaos inside of Epicentre, keeping a close eye on the traps cutting off the available exits in case he needed to place down another. It took several minutes for the noise inside to die out. 

The air around the two remaining was silent as Caustic stood and slipped his notepad back into its pouch. He brushed off his suit and nodded towards Bloodhound. They watched him as he ventured inside to go through the bodies that he had left littered around inside the building. Bloodhound stayed where they were standing, knowing Caustic would call if he found anything of use to them.They absentmindedly went through the supply crates scattered around in the snow, a small shiver passing through their body. One check of their holo device informed them that the ring would be moving within the minute, but they were already inside. Six squads remaining. 

Caustic appeared by their side, his hand outstretched with a stack of energy ammunition in his palm. Bloodhound took it quietly and dropped the stack into their backpack. “Thank you,” they said, turning their head to meet Caustic’s eyes through both of the masks. “For all of it.”

“It felt necessary,” Caustic frowned. “He refused to treat you with an ounce of respect. And he never once referred to you correctly. You do not deserve that.”

Bloodhound was quiet for a moment, running their gloved finger along the curve of the hand axe’s blade. “I did not think that you would have much respect for me, Caustic.”

Caustic let out a huff, almost a laugh. “While I do not exactly agree with your more... _religion_ based approaches, being a man of science myself...I do respect your competence as a Legend and your incredible dedication to your work.”

Bloodhound nodded and saw Artur in the distance, swooping towards them. They raised an arm and waited for him to land. “We should get moving soon, _vinur minn._ We need to find somewhere to set up for the final ring.”

✰ ✰ ✰ 

Elliot was quiet as Bloodhound recounted their story. Once they had stopped talking, the silence stayed between them but it wasn’t an uncomfortable one. Bloodhound watched Elliot work from their place seated on the counter, leaning their chin in their palm as they leant forward. As Elliot slowly began to piece together a meal, he alternated between talking mindlessly about future ideas for his holo tech and singing a variety of pop songs Bloodhound almost recognized. He didn’t seem to mind that the conversation was quite one sided, with Bloodhound only nodding or making small noises of agreement to keep Elliot satisfied they were still listening. After twenty or so minutes, he presented them with what appeared to be a salad.

“What have you made?” Bloodhound asked curiously, accepting the bowl that Elliot offered to them. 

He climbed up onto the counter beside them and took his own bowl. "It's sort of a bastardized version of _fattoush_. My mama would probably box my ears for the effort I made here but you guys don't have any sumac which is not my fault. Really, I tried my best here but for a house full of health conscious elite athletes, it was surprisingly hard to find good vegetables," he looked up at Bloodhound through his eyelashes and grinned at them. "Someone really needs to grocery shopping or something. I think your milk is expired. Don't tell Nox."

Bloodhound smiled softly and pulled their mask down to eat. They could see Elliot out the corner of their eye. He was in constant movement, walking backwards and forwards around the kitchen with his bowl in hand. Bloodhound watched in amusement as they both ate in silence, bar Elliot’s occasional humming. Once they’d both finished, Elliot appeared in front of Bloodhound to take their bowl. They stiffened at his closeness, the way that his fingers brushed over their own. He threw them an easy smile as he placed the bowls to the side but remained in their space, pushed between their legs. 

“You’re taller than me like this,” he joked, scrunching his nose at them. 

“I’m taller than you all the time,” Bloodhound said, trying to keep their voice level. 

Elliot scoffed and placed his hands either side of their thighs, effectively boxing them in as they sat on the counter. “You are not! You’re shorter than me! Except when you wear those big ass combat boots. Then you’re taller than me,” he met their eyes for a moment. “I know that you’re shorter because sometimes when I hug you, you’re the perfect height to rest your head on my shoulder. And I think it’s really cute.”

He inched close enough that their noses were almost touching and Bloodhound tried to remember how to breathe. They were hyper aware of his hands beside their thighs, close enough to feel the pressure but not exactly pressing in. Elliot gently brought one of his hands up to cup Bloodhound’s jaw, his thumb slowly dragging along their cheek. Bloodhound swallowed loudly and Elliot’s head tilted to the side, slowly moving forward again. Down the hall, Octavio’s door banged open and the man charged out, angrily yelling something Bloodhound couldn’t understand. As he crashed into the kitchen, Elliot and Bloodhound jumped apart and Elliot’s blush ran from his face down his neck. 

“Ellie! My man! You gotta help me!” Octavio begged, yanking the fridge beside them open and he pulled out a can of soft drink. “I’m stuck on this one level and I need your expertise, dude. It’s been _hours_ , Ellie, _por favor_ , help a brother out.”

Elliot’s breathing was uneven as he stared at Octavio for a moment. The other man watched him expectantly, his green eyes wide. “I..I can’t tonight, Tavi, I’m sorry. I promised Hound I’d hang out,” Elliot stumbled out, shaking his head quickly. He was quiet for a moment as Octavio shifted from foot to foot, unmoving. _“¿Podemos hacer esto en otro momento, por favor? Lo siento, Tavi, por favor. Es importante.”_

Something seemed to click in Octavio’s head as he took in the scene in front of him. Bloodhound shifted uncomfortably, resisting the urge to pull their mask back up. Octavio ran his free hand through his dishevelled hair and clicked his fingers. “All good, _hombre_ ,” he grinned at Elliot, walking backwards towards his room and opening the can with one hand. _“¡Buena suerte, diviértete! Comportarse ahora...”_ he added in a sing song voice. Elliot flipped him the bird and Octavio’s door slammed closed again, muffling his loud giggling. 

The silence between the two of them was deafening as Bloodhound slowly pulled their mask up over their mouth. Elliot was staring at Octavio’s closed door, a small frown on his own face. Bloodhound pushed themselves forward until they were standing back on the kitchen floor and the movement seemed to snap Elliot out of his trance. His gaze moved to them and they shifted their footing, trying not to pull their arms around themselves in defense. 

“What were you two talking about?” they asked, almost trying to fake nonchalance but giving up. “I could not understand.”

“Oh! Uh, Tavi just needed some help with a level in this game he’s been p-playing and he knows I can probably get him past it,” Elliot’s hand came up to run through his hair to try and keep it back; something Bloodhound recognized as a nervous gesture. “He was just teasing me.”

“Teasing you?”

“Just about how close we were! Well, not in a bad way! Like, he thinks that I flirt with you t-t-too much and that I should just kiss you or- or uh, or something. Which is rid-ridic-r- _ridiculous!_ And he likes to be a little shit about it and sometimes he thinks it’s funny to-”

“Elliot.”

“Yeah. Sorry. Rambling.”

Bloodhound stepped forward hesitantly, extending a hand for Elliot. Something in the back of their mind was screaming at them for letting someone touch them. A voice yelling that they should pull away and retreat back into their shell and just leave Elliot there in the kitchen. Easier. Safer. But they pushed it aside and linked their hand with his. He offered them an anxious smile that they did not return from behind their mask. He seemed to cower a little nervously under their intense stare so they moved their gaze to somewhere above Elliot’s head. They absentmindedly noticed that he was right; they were shorter than him. 

“I’d like to return to my quarters if that is alright.”

Elliot nodded quickly, his still messy hair falling to rest over his eye. “Yeah, yeah, sorry, I’ll let you get back to it, uh, I’ll just,” he stopped for a moment, taking in a breath. “Whoo boy. I am nervous. Sorry. I will let you….go back to your room.”

“You may accompany me if you would like,” they offered, tilting their head towards the staircase. Elliot nodded again with wide eyes and allowed himself to be tugged back upstairs. 

Once Bloodhound had closed their door behind them, Elliot awkwardly rocked backwards and forwards on the balls of his feet, pushed up near the wall. He was keeping his distance from Bloodhound and they did not know how to feel about it. On one hand, they appreciated that he knew they were adverse to contact, especially on days like these. But on the other hand, they wanted him as close as possible. Something inside them was near begging for them to pull him back towards them; finish whatever he started earlier. Bloodhound frowned, their eyes tracking the movement as Elliot ran his hands through his hair again. What they would give to be the one running their hands through his hair. 

They shook their head and let out a quick breath. Elliot’s attention snapped to them at the sudden noise, his eyes questioning. Bloodhound’s arms wrapped around themselves and they swayed from side to side, frowning slightly. Elliot looked like he wanted to speak but he just watched as Bloodhound sat down on the edge of their bed, removing the mask they wore. 

“Do you mind if we…” Bloodhound trailed off awkwardly, their hand half gesturing to the bed. Their face flushed red as they tried their hardest to remember the word in English. 

“Nap?” Elliot provided, a smile on his face. 

Bloodhound let out a huff, almost laughing. “ _Já._ Nap.”

They met eyes with Elliot briefly before they shuffled back on the bed, towards the pillows. They slowly laid back down and Elliot questioningly held his hand out towards the bed. Bloodhound nodded and he laid down beside them, turned onto his side to look at them. Bloodhound rubbed at their eye and turned onto their own side, facing away from Elliot. He pulled the covers up to cover them both and Bloodhound could feel his gaze burning a hole into the back of their head. They knew he wasn’t going to touch them unless they gave their explicit go-ahead but god, did they want him to hold them. Slowly, they reached a hand back and pulled Elliot closer. He gasped quietly but allowed himself to be pulled in, until his chest was pressed against Bloodhound’s back. Bloodhound grabbed his hand and tugged it around their waist, lacing their fingers together. Elliot’s cheek was resting against Bloodhound’s shoulder blade and he squeezed their hand; a comforting gesture. His knee pushed forward until his legs were tangled with Bloodhound’s and they let out a shaky breath. 

“Elliot, can I ask you something?”

Behind them, they felt Elliot tense. Their question was regrettably open and left Elliot not knowing what to expect. “You can ask me anything, Hound.”

“When you say nice things...when you flirt with me...and when you get so close to me...what does it mean to you?” they asked. “Is it something special or is it simply the way that you are with everyone?”

Elliot pressed his face into their shoulder harder and was quiet for a moment. Bloodhound held their breath, their heart almost beating out of their chest. They worried they had taken a step too far but Elliot let out a small laugh. “I’ve been told that I’m a pretty flirty guy...and I know that I like to flirt with a lot of different people. But it’s never particularly serious,” Bloodhound felt their heart begin to sink but Elliot squeezed their hand again. “Except when it’s you. Something about you makes my heart race and I like seeing the way that your face goes all red whenever I compliment you on something... I have a pretty big crush on you, Hound, but I was never sure if I should stop flirting because you never seemed to be super into it. I just figured that I was annoying you.”

Bloodhound rolled themselves over to face Elliot, somehow managing to keep their hands intertwined. “Elliot, I have had the _stupidest_ crush on you since the moment that I saw you almost break your leg trying to get a ‘trickshot’ after launching yourself off of Octavio’s jump pad. It was so incredibly moronic and it nearly cost us the fight and you made me waste an entire medical kit on you but it made me laugh,” Elliot’s face went red at the memory and that made Bloodhound smile, raising their free hand up to cup his jaw. “I like that you make me laugh. You are a very silly man. Sometimes a stupid one. And I am so incredibly… ah, _mjög ástfangin. Hálfviti._ "

“Bless you.” 

_“Heimskulegt.”_

“And again.”

Bloodhound laughed and pushed at Elliot’s face. “Shut up.”

Elliot reached his free hand up to catch Bloodhound’s, threading their fingers together. He turned them over and pressed a kiss to their knuckles. “So what do you say?” he asked. Bloodhound gave him a questioning look. “We could go out on a date. I could take you out somewhere real fancy. Or we could just stay in...could cook you dinner or somethin’...”

“I would like that.”

Bloodhound blinked slowly, struggling to hold back a yawn. Elliot gave them a soft sort of smile and squeezed their hand. “Nap?”

Bloodhound nodded, their eyes closing. _“Já. Sofðu.”_

They rolled over again and Elliot pulled them back against his chest, pushing his face against their shoulder blade. Their linked hands tucked against Bloodhound’s stomach and Elliot’s free hand came up to run through Bloodhound’s hair. They sighed quietly and leant back into the touch. With the heavy blanket on top of them and Elliot’s weight pressed behind them, they felt warm and almost safe. It was a foreign feeling to them, but a welcome one. It made it easy for them to fall asleep, wrapped up in Elliot’s arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (looks at miragehound) i just think its neat.. hope u enjoyed! this is the most ive ever written for somethin & im super proud of it
> 
> small hc for mirage, i think he would be best friends w octane...anyway thats all thanks for reading ilu
> 
> [♡ my twitter ♡](https://twitter.com/wrenchjnr%5D)

**Author's Note:**

> i went apeshit listening to mother mother one night & this is the result.. ch1 is short because of a weird divide in moods between the whole thing, so i wanted to chapter it! so ch2 is going to be WAY longer ^__^


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